Early in the morning of Nov. 28, the War House was set aflame, and a person in dark clothing was seen running from the scene. The house was completely destroyed.

A week earlier, on Nov. 21, the Penny House was leveled by fire. Despite a quick response, firefighters were unable to contain the flames as they dealt with low water pressure. After that incident, police talked to someone identified as a person of interest, although that person was not arrested or charged.

Two other small fires were also reported earlier in October, which caused smoke damage to the Penny House and the Numbers House.

Investigators comb through the rubble after a fire destroyed The Doll House at the Heidelberg Project in Detroit. (Credit: Mike Campbell/WWJ Newsradio 950)

After the devastating fire at the House of Soul, organizers announced a plan for heightened security, including nightly neighborhood patrols, increased lighting and security cameras. An online fundraising drive raised a total of $54,280 to help implement the security measures.

Founder and artistic director Tyree Guyton and his compatriots vow to carry on, make more art and overcome the assault on his vision, yet worry threatens the whimsy as the fires snuff out building after building.

Now, piles of rubble alternate with two remaining house installations within the two-block area on the city’s east side that’s become famous over the years for the exhibition featuring shoes, clocks, vinyl records, stuffed animals and other found or discarded objects.

The project has muscled its way into cultural and public acceptance despite rocky beginnings. It was originally viewed as an eyesore by city officials, who demolished parts of it at various points in the 1990s, but it now attracts tourists from across the country and globe and gets a seal of approval from the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Any information may be reported by calling the Heidelberg Project Tip Line at 313-428-1762 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.